


A Little Fall Of Rain

by ragewerthers



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F3S, Fluff, Gladio will look after him, Gladnis, M/M, Sick Ignis Scientia, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 02:24:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragewerthers/pseuds/ragewerthers
Summary: After battling through a torrential downpour to get to a meeting, Ignis attempts to struggle his way through it.Luckily Gladio is having none of it and is there to make sure Ignis is taken care of.





	A Little Fall Of Rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bgn846](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/gifts).

> This is another fic written for @bgn846 for our F3S! Her prompt was to have Ignis caught in the rain and to attend a meeting where Gladio was also attending. The Shield sees him shivering and has to figure out how to help!
> 
> This was super fun to write and I am ALWAYS up for some good old gladnis whump! :D
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr at: ragewerther.tumblr.com
> 
> Enjoy, my friend! :D

_ “Clear skies with the temperatures rising.” _

That had been the  _ exact _ words he’d heard uttered from the radio this morning from the local weatherman.

“Cl-Clear skies, my arse!” Ignis growled as he wiped at his face, trying to catch a reprieve from the torrential downpour assaulting Insomnia this morning. Currently he had ducked under the small awning of a coffee shop, the enticing smell from inside making him wish that he could just call the whole day a wash, step inside and play hooky for the day.

Sadly it wasn’t in his DNA to simply play hooky. Not to mention the meeting scheduled at this hour was far too important for him to merely blow off.

There were enough naysayers to his presence in the Council room and he didn’t want to give them another reason to try and push him out. Tardiness and absence would be easy wins for them and he  _ refused _ to let them win.

Taking one last deep breath of the coffee filled air, Ignis wiped a hand over his face before stepping back out into the downpour. His glasses had long since been tucked away into the front pocket of his drenched shirt in a poor attempt to keep them dry. At this point they would’ve been more of a hindrance anyway so at least it wasn’t all for nought.

Sadly, no amount of hiding his glasses or careful micro adjustments could’ve saved him from the early morning delivery truck that decided to drive just a little too close to the pavement and through the worlds largest puddle Insomnia had ever seen.

Now… Ignis wasn’t one for literals, but a  _ literal _ tidal wave of water was kicked up from the speed and force of the trucks tires. Ignis didn’t even have time to raise his briefcase as a sort of mini shield before the wave was rising over him crashing down leaving him drenched to his very core.

As the truck continued on its merry way down the road, Ignis’s thoughts turned darker than that of the sky overhead. He brought a hand up to wipe at his face before dropping it to his side once more, realizing the action was futile.

“Clear skies and the temperature rising,” he growled under his breath before starting once more down the pavement and toward the rest of a very long, soggy and miserable day.

\------------------------

The squeak of wet shoes on the polished tile floor echoed along the hallway leading to the Citadel’s Council Rooms.

Considering it had been raining all morning the noise should’ve been considered acceptable, but this was the Citadel. Here, no one dared to show that they could be affected by  _ anything _ , much less something as simple as the weather. Thus why the noise was so startling to some, causing people to turn their heads to see who could be so  _ human _ as to make such a racket.

However, not a word was said as they seen the culprit was none other than the Crown Prince’s Royal Retainer and Advisor, Ignis Scientia.

No one expected to see the man looking quite so… out of sorts. He was always so put together, not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle to be seen. The young man seemed to embody the meaning of being prim and proper at all times. So to see him so unlike himself was just a little unsettling.

His wet hair lay plastered to his forehead, glasses speckled with water droplets and his clothing absolutely soaked through and through. His cheeks were also tinged red from the wind whipping up outside and all in all he looked the definition of miserable. On anyone else it would’ve looked comical, but the sheer anger in Ignis’s eyes kept anyone from uttering a single syllable in his direction.

His hurried footsteps soon carried him into the Council room, his eyes glancing down to his watch only to find it waterlogged and unreadable. Another quiet growl rumbled through his chest as he brought his drenched briefcase up to set on the table, earning a few judgmental looks to be cast his way though he tried his best to ignore it.

Opening up his briefcase he was at least happy to see his reports had been spared from the rain and the puddles. He carefully began laying out the files before finding someone stepping up beside him.

Glancing up, the figure was blurred slightly from the rain that still lingered on his glasses, and he quickly took them off only to be met with a pair of worried amber eyes.

“Iggy? What the hell happened to you?” the Shield in training asked, taking Ignis’s glasses carefully from his hands so he could try to wipe them dry with his uniform jacket.

Ignis was so stunned by the action and the sudden appearance from Gladio that he easily allowed his spectacles to be taken from his chilled fingers. However, the gesture that his partner had taken finally caught up with his waterlogged mind and his pride took precedence over everything else.

“Just a little rain, nothing you should worry yourself with,” he said simply, trying to brush off what he’d just been through and really, it  _ was _ just a little rain. “And you don’t have to clean my glasses for me. I’m sure I could’ve…,”

“What? Added more water to them trying to do it yourself?” Gladio asked with a quirked brow, handing the now dry glasses back over to Ignis. “You look like you just went through a hurricane.”

“Yes. Because the weathermen of Insomnia are all liars,” Ignis grumbled, putting his glasses back on a bit more roughly then he meant to as a sniffle escaped him. Fantastic. That’s all he needed was to start sniffling during an hour’s long meeting.

“Iggy… don’t you have a change of clothes in the training hall locker room? Why don’t you sneak out for a second and change? No one will notice,” Gladio tried to offer, glancing around the room as the other members soon began filing in.

Ignis looked around as well and shook his head, feeling a few water droplets fall from his bangs and onto his forehead. “The meetings almost ready to begin and you know how most of the people here feel about having… someone like me sit in on such things.”

Gladio’s expression instantly darkened as he heard those words, knowing full well what the his partner meant. He hadn’t been deaf to the comments of some council members and their feelings on having a ‘refugee’ so close to the Crown. It seemed like the more responsibilities pushed onto Ignis’s shoulders only fueled the flames of dislike in those around him.

The Shield soon felt a squeeze to his forearm and looked back to Ignis, seeing a tired smile pulling slightly at the corner of his lips.

“It’s alright, Gladio. I’m a tough one. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me,” he tried to reassure. Though no sooner had he said it then his eyes widened and he quickly turned his head away, bringing the crook of his elbow up to cover his mouth as a rattling cough escaped him. “A-apologies…,” he quickly tried to amend, his cheeks feeling just a little warmer now, though he was positive it was more from embarrassment than anything else.

Gladio’s expression was worried as he watched Ignis coughing like that. Sadly, before he could force the issue of getting Ignis out of there the meeting was being called to order and Gladio had to go and stand at his post at the entryway.

“Don’t push yourself, Iggy,” he murmured softly, reaching forward to give his fingers a gentle squeeze before moving away.

Ignis could only give a small nod at that, though the warmth of Gladio’s touch against his own clammy fingers made him desperately wish for the warmth of their bed. Taking a little breath he tried to refocus. This wasn’t so bad. He could handle a little meeting with a bit of discomfort.

As he took his own seat, the squish of his wet trousers against his legs made him cringe.

Astrals preserve him this meeting wouldn’t be able to end soon enough.

\-------------------------

Standing at the door, Gladio felt his mind wandering slightly as he listened to Councilman Garusen continue to recount the minutes from the last meeting and lay out the bullet points of today’s topic. As interesting as it was to learn about the Refuse Removal Act that was soon to be implemented in outer Cleide, Gladio’s gaze was soon drawn to movement near the left side of the conference table.   
As much as the man was trying to hide it, Gladio could see the tremble of Ignis’s shoulders where he sat.

Quiet sniffles could also sometimes be heard every once in a while and Gladio knew he wasn’t seeing things when the Advisor turned his head, his cheeks far too red even as his lips seemed pale.

The idiot was really just going to sit there and weather this meeting like this? All because of a bunch of pretentious assholes who didn’t think he belonged here?

Gladio had to close his eyes and take a deep breath through his nose, slowly releasing it through his mouth so as not to let his temper get the better of him. What he needed to do was figure out how to get Ignis out of here while helping the man keep face in front of these jackels.

He bit his lip, trying to come up with some sort of plan, but the longer he watched Ignis shiver the harder it became to concentrate. However, the Astrals seemed to be smiling on him today because an answer was soon forthcoming.

A few more minutes into his failed ideas to extricate Ignis, he heard a knock on the door and jumped slightly, glad that the other recruit standing guard with him seemed to not have noticed.

Quietly, so as not to disturb the discussion going on inside, he opened the door to a young intern who apparently had made a wrong turn and knocked on their door by mistake. The sight of Gladiolus was enough for the poor guy to realized instantly that he’d made an error and didn’t want to stay around long enough to see what he’d just interrupted. After stuttering apologies the kid was gone before Gladio could bat an eye, but… it gave him an idea.

“Yes, Sir. Okay. I’ll let him know,” he said in a hushed tone to absolutely no one, giving a little salute and closing the door before turning back to the room.

With purposeful steps he made his way over to his shivering partner, the poor man’s hands trembling so much that Gladio wondered how he was even keeping hold of his pen at this point.

Gently he laid a hand on the Ignis’s shoulder, feeling the way his shirt was chilly and damp, yet the heat emanating just under the fabric was almost hot to the touch.

Ignis jumped under the contact and turned his gaze up to see who had interrupted his misery, only to find Gladio ducking down to speak against his ear.

“The Prince has requested to see us and apologizes for interrupting the meeting, but the matter is urgent,” he said quietly enough for Ignis to feel like the message was just for him, but loud enough that a few council members nearby would hear.

Ignis expression seemed slightly dazed and Gladio wondered if perhaps his words had even gotten through when Ignis suddenly seemed to find himself. Shaking his head a bit he cleared his throat and nodded. “Oh y-yes. Of course,” he rasped slightly and Gladio stepped back as the Adviser in training tried to clear his files and notes up and pile them back into his briefcase.

It took Gladio everything he had in him not to reach out and help as Ignis’s fumbling fingers and shaky hands seemed incapable of completing the task.

Finally…  _ Finally…  _ Ignis had his belongings in order and after whispering a few apologies to a few members they made their way toward the door. Gladio could feel a few eyes on him, but knew that no one could make a comment now. Not when Ignis had been ordered by the Prince.

Once out in the hall, Gladio closed the door behind them and quickly turned back to Ignis.

“I’m taking you home. You are in no shape to be here right now, Ignis,” he murmured, quickly removing his uniform jacket and draping it over Ignis’s shaking shoulders.

“What? But… Noct’s sent a summ-..CHOO!” Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the sneeze that echoed down the quiet hall, a miserable little groan soon following as Ignis rubbed at his temple.

“No. He didn’t. I… sort of…,” Gladio rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before simply sighing in resignation. “I lied, alright? I know you think you’re invincible and you don’t like to show weakness in front of others, so… I gave you an easy out. You can be angry at me later though. Right now, I need to get you home, get you into some dry clothes and get you resting before you get any worse.”

Ignis tried, he really did, to be upset with Gladio for lying to him, drawing him out of a meeting and for leaving his post like that… but with his body riddled with chills, his head pounding and his throat feeling like sandpaper the allure of an easy out was too much to pass up. “I… I must admit not having soggy trousers and socks does sound wonderful,” he sniffled miserably and Gladio couldn’t stop a soft chuckle escaping.

Reaching forward he easily took his lover’s briefcase from his fingers, shifting it into his other hand before wrapping an arm around Ignis’s shoulders to guide him down the hall and offer a little extra warmth. “I knew you’d see it my way,” he murmured gently, leaning over to press a little kiss to his partners still damp hair.

\-------------------------------

The drive back to their apartment was a quiet one as Ignis had managed to nod off during the ride. Granted, Gladio turning on the heated seats definitely had a hand in causing that effect.

Before they’d taken off though, Gladio had sent a quick text to Cor letting him know about what was happening with Ignis. For as much of a hard ass as the Marshal could be, even he could see that getting Ignis back home and resting was far more important that watching over a meeting on trash. Though the man did warn him that if he planned on pulling this stunt again he might not be so forgiving.

That was perfectly fine with the young Shield though. If it meant he could look after Ignis then it was all worth it.

Currently, Gladio was guiding a slightly groggy Ignis down the hallway to their apartment, the man leaning heavily against his side as the Shield stopped to unlock their front door.

“Almost there, Iggy,” he murmured gently before opening the door and managing to shuffle them both inside.

Once the door was locked behind him and prying eyes could no longer see them, Gladio instantly dropped Ignis’s briefcase on the counter and swept the man up into his arms bridal style.

The sudden shift made Ignis’s eyes instantly fly open and his arms reflexively wrapped around Gladio’s neck.

“Gladiolus!? Put me down this instant! I’m not an invalid!” he rasped, but Gladio was a man on a mission.

“Not a chance. If I don’t make sure you look after yourself then nobody will!” he warned, though his expression was gentle.

Before long he had Ignis sitting on the edge of their bed and began moving around the bedroom before disappearing for a moment. When he returned he knelt beside his miserable looking partner and began to gently divest him of his damp and chilled clothing.

Ignis shivered more as Gladio helped him out of his shirt and the Shield offered an apologetic expression. “We’ll get you nice and toasty soon, love,” he murmured, watching Ignis’s already pink cheeks tinge a slightly darker shade. The man was weak for endearments and he only ever really let Gladio get away with them when he was at his most vulnerable… so hardly ever.

It took a little bit more shimmying, gentle jostling and one inadvertent kick to his ribs when he tried to get Ignis’s socks off and accidentally tickled the man, but soon he had him undressed. A buzz from the hallways grabbed Gladio’s attention and he excused himself for a few moments before coming back with a bundle of clothes.

“I thought putting them in the dryer a bit would give you a little extra warmth,” he admitted gently before helping to redress the man.

Normally Ignis’s pride wouldn’t have allowed for such things, but the allure of finally getting warm and having Gladio there to look after him helped to soothe any little bit of unease he might’ve felt.

Soon he was bundled up in a pair of his grey sweatpants, a hoodie two sizes two big, bundled around his frame that Gladio knew the man coveted when he was in need of a bit of extra warmth.

“There… now… why don’t you get under the covers, okay, sweetheart?” Gladio murmured softly, reaching forward to carefully remove Ignis’s glasses and set them on the nightstand.

Ignis’s eyes were already closed as the warmth of the dry clothing seemed to seep into his cold and clammy skin, his body no longer shivering as it was earlier.

“M’kay,” he murmured as Gladio gently guided him to lay wrapping their comforter up around him

Gladio took a seat next to him on the edge of the bed then, soothing his hand along Ignis’s back to try and help lure him into the rest he needed. As Ignis buried his nose into the covers with a little hum, Gladio bit his lower lip to keep from laughing and soon the mans breathing evened out and the Shield knew his partner had nodded off.

The man may have to put on a mask and be stoic and strong in the face of adversity from his peers, but as long as Gladio was around he would make sure the man was always taken care of.

Gladio may not be a weatherman, but he’d ensure nothing but clear skies for his Ignis.


End file.
